Chief executive candidates John Tsang and Carrie Lam attend an election debate on Tuesday. Beijing has made known its preferences through various channels from an early stage – no to Tsang, the former financial secretary who is leading in the opinion polls, but full support for former chief secretary Lam, the likely winner. Photo: Reuters

China’s might and Hong Kong’s autonomy: can Carrie Lam find a balance between the two?

Regina Ip says many of our problems come down to the Hong Kong government’s inability to balance ‘one country’ and ‘two systems’. Carrie Lam, if she wins the leadership race, should brace for an even more challenging task

Chief executive candidates John Tsang and Carrie Lam attend an election debate on Tuesday. Beijing has made known its preferences through various channels from an early stage – no to Tsang, the former financial secretary who is leading in the opinion polls, but full support for former chief secretary Lam, the likely winner. Photo: Reuters